Hello, Friends! It’s been a while. While I have been plugging away at the shop, here is a peek into the transformation of the upstairs apartment. It’s a long-term project but a fun one. Who knows, maybe one day it will be available on Airbnb; but for now, it is a work in progress.
When I bought the building, it was full of milling equipment and junk. I believe the Brownville Mills closed sometime around 2011 or 2012. It looks like they just used it for storage and left everything there when I bought it. It’s definitely looking brighter 🙂
2021 events have kicked off for the summer! The spring flea market (over Memorial Day weekend) was a success and there are many more exciting events coming up. I want to share a few of the events scheduled for this year and tell you about some of the cool places to visit while in Brownville. Since I only list a few events, be sure to check out the community website for the full listing:
It’s been one full year since I opened the doors to my shop and what a year it has been. It started off great with a fabulous opening weekend in December 2019. It was a beautiful December day and so many people stopped in to help me celebrate and check out the shop. I was in awe of the love and support from everyone!
I recently read an Instagram post asking this very question. Is it the people? Is it the story behind the place? A friendly wave of a business owner or neighbor? Is it the sign of tidiness, or evidence of care in the place? Is it the activity and excitement of seeing people interact with each other during an event?
What makes Brownville special? The history and story behind Brownville is definitely part of it. The events and activities that draw people in, are part of it. The laid back, slow pace of life, is part of it. The friendly people are part of it. I love that everyone waves as they drive by. The many dogs that run around town are part of it. Is it that the town has been around since 1854 and its history continues today? Definitely. The town tries to share that history with preserving and maintaining a number of historic houses and buildings. The number of amazing artists who reside there or have a gallery there, are also part of it. The amazing concerts & theatre shows are part of it. That feeling like you’re visiting an old, abandoned river town that has seen better days, is also part of it. Is it the sense of belonging to a place where you can imagine years and years of previous generations walking the same streets and buildings? Yes.
When I first looked at this building, I was blown away by all the stuff that was left in it. It was full of furniture, equipment & commercial size coolers left from the long-running business, Brownville Mills. It also had been used as storage for a number of other items as well as some junk sitting around. It was fascinating and overwhelming at the same time. Here are a few pics before we moved stuff out.
As the new year is getting started, I would like to send out a quick greeting and wish everyone happiness and health in the new year! I enjoyed a little time off work over the holidays and now I am back into the swing of things again . Looking back, it’s amazing how quickly a year seems to pass. I’d like to share a couple of things that I hope to see happen this year with LTS.
This year will be busy trying to get the building renovated enough to open a shop on the first floor. There is so much to do yet before it is ready for a shop. It might be an optimistic target but I am hoping to have my shop open by Memorial weekend this year. In order for this to happen, I have a huge list of things to complete in the building. Can it happen in time? We will see.
One last thing I want to mention is that I am thankful for my friends and family who have supported me in this journey. I am very grateful. The people in Brownville have also been so welcoming and supportive. As everyone is very busy with their own families, projects and work, I want to return the same kind of help and support in the coming year.
